Bangor, ME — Walter Case, Jr has honed his reputation as a half-mile track kingpin, excelling at generating intense speed off the gate while keeping his charges alert and alive all the way to the wire.  Case demonstrated a decidedly different tactic as he teamed three winners home in extreme overland fashion during a rare Friday (Oct. 21) matinee performance at Bangor Raceway.

Riproy (Mach Three) made short work out of the competition in the afternoon’s opener, as Case recognized a prime opportunity to gobble up robust early fractions after driver Russell Lanpher III gunned Canbec Kingkazimir to the half in :57.4. Pouncing off the pylons, Case and his charge gradually inched toward an advantage, throttling past the pacesetter by three-quarters of a length at the wire timed in 1:57.1.

The win was one of two on the program for trainer Benson Merrill.

Case next turned his attention the streaking Fox Valley Cupid who was climbing up the class ladder while gunning for his fourth consecutive win. Despite scoring from the rail and having won on the lead in each of his last two efforts, Case reined back the veteran son of Yankee Skyscaper while allowing the lightly raced, Wheelaway (Michael Stevenson) to settle on the lead. As the pace dulled at the half, Case once again began to navigate the outside speedway lanes while grinding to the neck advantage at the wire, timed in 1:59.4.

Fox Valley Cupid scored fourth straight victory on Friday at Bangor, it was one of three for driver Walter Case Jr. Shelley Gilpatrick Photo.

Despite being sent to the gate as the 5-2 third choice, Fox Valley Cupid, provided reasonable value at the windows, heading up a hefty $110.60 exacta return matched up the rallying long shot, Celebrate Your Bet (Andrew Harrington), who nearly shocked the crowd at 36-1 odds.

Case’s third win of the day came behind the 1-9 shot, Storming Maverick (Western Maverick) as the punters climbed all aboard the three-year-old Maine-bred who was making his first start absent tough stakes competition and his first start under the tutelage of his new conditioner, Patricia Sumner.

In a classic battle of the ages, the youngster tracked the speed of the 13-year-old Ideal Bid (Aaron Hall) before taking the veteran campaigner to school with a determined, in your face, overland romp, extending out to a 2-1/2 length margin at the wire in 1:59.4, and completing the hat track performance for Case.

Live harness racing resumes on Saturday afternoon at Bangor Raceway with first post scheduled for 12:15 p.m. Racing continues next week at Bangor on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. with Friday and Saturday matinees starting at 12:15 p.m.